The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
